{"id":125780,"date":"2016-06-23T12:49:46","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T10:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/125780\/guide-rape-statistics-in-south-africa\/"},"modified":"2016-06-23T12:49:46","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T10:49:46","slug":"guide-rape-statistics-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2016\/06\/23\/guide-rape-statistics-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"GUIDE: Rape statistics in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of South Africa\u2019s most pressing problems, rape levels in the country gets discussed and reported on often. And as a result, many of the statistics used often cross the desks of Africa Check.<\/p>\n

These statistics often suffer from accuracy problems.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

They\u2019re either very old (it\u2019s highly unlikely that a 20-year-old statistic is still valid<\/a>!) or they\u00a0have become part of an echo chamber<\/a>\u00a0where the more a statistic is reported and repeated the more people accept it as true.<\/p>\n

Some take on a life of their own as\u00a0flat earth news<\/a>: being so entrenched in the media and everyday use that it becomes heresy to say it is inaccurate.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

This guide presents what we do and don’t know about rape in South Africa.<\/p>\n

Number of rapes reported to the police<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"police-378255_960_720\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The South African Police Service used to publish crime statistics only once a year. This is set to\u00a0change, with the minister in the presidency recently announcing that in future\u00a0it will be released every three months<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Statistics of rapes reported to the police are included in the broad array of sexual offences. Although rape\u00a0makes up the majority of cases<\/a>, this category cannot be used in place of disaggregated rape statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/strong><\/td>\nReported rapes<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008\/9<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 46,647<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009\/10<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 48,259<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010\/11<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 48,158<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011\/12<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 47,069<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012\/13<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 48,408<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013\/14<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 45,349<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014\/15<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a043,195<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015\/16<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0v \u00a0Not yet released<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

(Source:\u00a0South African Police Service analysis of the 2014\/15 national crime statistics<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Reported rape rate<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The rape rate refers to the number of reported rapes which occur per 100,000 people. So, for example, if 43,195 rapes were reported in South Africa in 2014\/15, it means that for every 100,000 people in the country there were 80 rapes reported.<\/p>\n

Without the official data, we have calculated South Africa\u2019s annual rape rates from 2008\/09 to 2014\/15 using\u00a0Statistics South Africa\u2019s mid-year population estimates<\/a>. This guide will be updated if new information is provided by the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/strong><\/td>\nReported rape rate<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2008\/9<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2009\/10<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010\/11<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011\/12<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 91<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012\/13<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 92<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013\/14<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 85<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014\/15<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015\/16<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Not yet released<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Percentage of people raped<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, there is no recent, nationally representative study on the percentage of people in South Africa that have been raped. The only available data – some of which is very dated or regional – only looks at the percentage of women that have been raped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Study<\/strong><\/td>\nFinding<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Western Cape Gender Based Violence Indicators Study<\/a>\u00a0(2014)<\/td>\n7% of women reported non-partner rape.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Gauteng Gender Based Violence Indicators Project\u00a0<\/a>(2010)<\/td>\n25.3% of women had an experience of being raped by a \u201cman, whether a husband or boyfriend, family member, stranger or acquaintance\u201d.18% of women experienced \u201cintimate partner rape on one or more occasions\u201d.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Violence against women in three South African provinces<\/a>\u00a0(1999)<\/td>\n4.5% of respondents in the Eastern Cape, 7.2% of respondents in Mpumalanga and 4.8% of respondents in Limpopo reported \u201cbeing forced or persuaded to have sex against\u00a0[their]\u00a0will” by being threatened, held down or hurt in some way.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Africa\u2019s Demographic and Health Survey\u00a0<\/a>(1998)<\/td>\n7% of women aged 15 to 49 had been \u201cforced or persuaded\u201d to have sex against their will by a sexual partner.
\n4.4% of women aged 15 to 49 had been \u201cforced to have sex\u201d in their lifetime.<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Perpetrators<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There is little information of how many\u00a0people\u00a0commit rape in South Africa. Data from two studies – which looked at male perpetrators – is presented below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Study<\/strong><\/td>\nFinding<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Western Cape Gender Based Violence Indicators Study<\/a>\u00a0(2014)<\/td>\n15% of men reported committing non-partner rape.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Gauteng Gender Based Violence Indicators Project<\/a>\u00a0(2010)<\/td>\n37.4% of men admitted to raping a woman.
\n31% of men disclosed having raped a woman who was not a partner.
\n18.2% of men disclosed raping an intimate partner.
\n6.9% of men disclosed engaging\u00a0in gang rape.<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nPercentage of rapes reported to the police<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Crime statistics can reveal how many rapes are reported to the police, but they don\u2019t tell us how many are committed. Very few studies have been conducted into the true extent of rape in South Africa.<\/p>\n

Without recent, nationally representative data it is impossible to estimate how many people are raped each year. Two studies provide limited insight into the share of rapes that are reported to the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Study<\/strong><\/td>\nFinding<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Gauteng Gender Based Violence Indicators Project<\/a>\u00a0(2010)<\/td>\n3.9% of women who had been raped (by either a partner or non-partner) had reported it to the police.
\n2.1% of women raped by an intimate partner had reported the crime to the police.
\n7.8% of women raped by a stranger or acquaintance had reported the incident to the police.<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
South Africa\u2019s Demographic and Health Survey<\/a>\u00a0(1998)<\/td>\n15.2% of women aged 15 to 49 who had been forced to have sex had \u201csought help from the police\u201d.<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nChild rape<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"child-1152327_960_720\"<\/a>
Picture by Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

South African Police Service data on rapes perpetrated against children. There is not a nationally representative study on the reporting rate of child rape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/strong><\/td>\nReported child rapes (younger than 18)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011\/12<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a021,128<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012\/13<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 20,702<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013\/14<\/td>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 18,524<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source: South African Police Service<\/p>\n

Note: The last two figures were\u00a0provided to Africa Check in 2014 by the South African Police Service<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Guilty verdicts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Picture<\/a>
Picture by Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

South Africa\u2019s\u00a0National Prosecuting Authority<\/a>\u00a0publishes conviction rates<\/a>\u00a0for the broad categories of sexual offences. It does not provide the conviction rate for rape.<\/p>\n

Without this data, it is impossible to say which percentage of rape cases end in a conviction.<\/p>\n

Incorrect\u00a0claims about rape in South Africa<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A rape is reported every 4 minutes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This claim was made by South Africa\u2019s Talk Radio 702 as part of a \u201cstop rape\u201d campaign. The station played a beep every four minutes to signify a reported rape. If this claim were correct it would mean that around 131,000 rapes are reported to police every year. According to the latest crime statistics, 43,195 rapes were reported in 2014\/15.<\/p>\n

United Nation statistics show a rape occurs every 26 seconds in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

UK\u00a0news channel Sky News cited the statistic when reporting on the levels of rape in South Africa in 2016. However, the statistic is nearly 20 years old and was based on an estimated – not researched – reporting rate.<\/p>\n

South Africa is the \u201crape capital of the world\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The internet is littered with this claim but it is meaningless. South Africa has very high levels of reported rape. However, differing definitions of the crime, different methods of recording incidents of rape and different levels of under-reporting of rape and sexual violence of all sorts make such international comparisons impossible.<\/p>\n

South African women not more likely to be raped than to learn how to read<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This claim dates back to 2002 and has been cited by a variety of news organisations and websites. However, experts have described the statement as a \u201cstatistical horror\u201d. The comparison is invalid and the available (although dated) data does not support the claim.<\/p>\n

Article researched by Kate Wilkinson\u00a0and supplied by\u00a0Africa Check<\/a>. Follow them on\u00a0Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> for more groundbreaking stories.<\/p>\n

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